Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) is set to summon Bahlil Lahadalia, the Head of the Task Force for Land Use and Investment Arrangement, in mid-March over allegations of misuse of authority related to the revocation and reactivation of Mining Business Licenses (IUP).

During the House hearing session, Bahlil will also be confronted face-to-face with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Arifin Tasrif.

Commission VII member Mulyanto revealed that several members received reports of over 2,000 IUPs being revoked and around 90 IUPs being reactivated. The process of reactivating these licenses was deemed convoluted, raising suspicions.

"The meeting has been scheduled for mid-March," Mulyanto in a WhatsApp message on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

The politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) argued that Bahlil lacked the authority to grant or revoke mining permits.

"The minister authorized to grant and revoke mining-related permits is the Minister of ESDM, not the Minister of Investment," Mulyanto said.

The Ministry of Investment is, in essence, a working partner of DPR's Commission VI. Despite Bahlil holding the ad hoc position as the Head of the Task Force for Land Use and Investment Arrangement, his formal position is Minister of Investment. Nonetheless, Mulyanto emphasized that Commission VII also has the right to summon Bahlil.

"If he is magnanimous as a statesman, he will attend. Other ministers also attend when invited," added Mulyanto.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the Chairman of Commission VII, Sugeng Suparwoto. Sugeng claimed to have received information about alleged irregularities, such as the practice of payment or requests for company shares to reactivate Mining Business Licenses (IUP) and Oil Palm Plantation Concession Rights (HGU).

"We will immediately summon Mr. Bahlil," said Sugeng in a press release on Thursday.

Sugeng, a Nasdem Party politician, believed that the formation of the Task Force for Land Use and Investment Arrangement undermined governance, as the task force's duties in evaluating company-owned IUPs went beyond the responsibilities of three ministries.

"We have been against the existence of this task force from the beginning. We want to return to the original state of affairs," said Sugeng.